Barcelona's Raphinha has given a ringing endorsement of team mate Lamine Yamal in his bid to win the Ballon d'Or.
Yamal is one of 30 nominees for the most prestigious individual accolade in the sport, and while it's often easy to see where the award will go, the 2026 winner seems less clear.
In World Cup years, the Ballon d'Or has largely gone to players for their exploits on the world stages, with Zinedine Zidane (1998), Ronaldo (2002), Fabio Cannavaro (2006), Luka Modric (2018) and Lionel Messi (2023) all winning after shining at the tournament.
At the 2026 World Cup, however, it was Rodri who stole the show, albeit on the back of a quiet campaign with Manchester City. Yamal struggled with fitness issues throughout the tournament and failed to make a telling impact. Nevertheless, the teenager recorded 27 goal contributions for Barcelona en route to a second straight La Liga crown and was named La Liga Player of the Season.
Harry Kane remains odds-on favourite for a first Ballon d'Or having scored a remarkable 61 goals for Bayern Munich last term, but Raphinha believes Yamal should be the winner.
Asked if Yamal should win the Ballon d'Or, Raphinha told the Guardian: "Without a doubt, yes.
"I think winning the Ballon d’Or depends on individual statistics, team honours and the magic you bring to the pitch. Charisma and all that. Those are the most important factors, and Lamine has it all.
"Even if I wasn’t Lamine’s teammate, given what he does on the pitch, his statistics, the titles he’s won… titles are very important.
"For me, he’s the favourite; he has to win it."
The Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on Monday 26th October in London.
